Shantanu Das

University of Ottawa, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Papers

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About

Shantanu Das is a leading researcher in distributed computing, swarm robotics, and programmable matter, with a focus on designing algorithms for autonomous, resource-constrained systems. His work bridges theoretical foundations and practical applications in self-organizing networks. Das’s most-cited paper, "Localized Movement Control for Fault Tolerance of Mobile Robot Networks" (2007, 48 citations), introduces a distributed algorithm that uses p-hop neighbor information to transform a connected robot network into a fault-tolerant, bi-connected topology while minimizing movement distance—a critical contribution to robust multi-robot coordination. In a more recent landmark study, "Asynchronous Silent Programmable Matter Achieves Leader Election and Compaction" (2020, 21 citations), Das addresses fundamental challenges in programmable matter, where weak, self-organizing particles must coordinate without global knowledge or communication. This work demonstrates that even under asynchronous and silent conditions, particles can reliably elect a leader and compact into a desired shape, advancing the feasibility of programmable matter for applications like smart materials and medical nanobots. Das’s research consistently emphasizes minimal assumptions and maximal robustness, making his algorithms highly relevant for real-world deployment in distributed robotic systems.